Hello all,
I'm thinking about building a chevy 302 for my dirt track camaro. Before I get into this I want to say yes I do know building a 350 will be cheaper and give me more hp and tourqe blah blah.....and building a 383 for a race engine will give me the best bang for my buck. Anyways I want to build a 302 to be different.
So I'm looking for some advice, I have a 1963 forged steel 283 crank, is there anyway I can use my large journal 010 350 4 bolt block? Can I get the Machine shop make the 283 crank into the 350 block like they do with 350 cranks in 400's? If I get that far the rules for my race class are fairly strict in some areas, if I spin the motor over 6500-7000 rpm would I need to get forged steel H beam rods?
The rules for my class state no rules on cubic inch, stock cast iron intake manifold with Rochester 2g or Holley 4412 2bbl carb will be used. stock production cast iron heads/ no vortec heads, no porting/ polishing, milling the heads aren't allowed, stock steel rocker arms with 1.50 ratio will be used. Stock production cast iron exhaust manifolds will be used.
Here's what I picture in my head if I can get the crank to fit the block:
Bowtie cast iron factory hi rise intake with 2bbl carb adapter
Stock ram horn exhaust manifolds
186 camel hump heads or 882 1.94 truck heads
Holley 4412 500cfm 2bbl carb
Scat forged steel 4340 6" h beam rods.
Mahle forged alum flattop pistons with 2 valve reliefs bore tbd also floating wrist pins
Arp main and rod bolts
High volume oil pump
Double roller timing chain
Circle track hydraulic cam I've had great success with in my 350's
240/250 @ .050", 290/294 advertised,.506"/.510" lift(1.5:1 rocker ratio),107 lobe sep
Comp cam hydraulic flat tappet lifters
The bearing size will be determined if I can get the crank to work
The biggest thing I need advice on is the heads, I want to be able to safely spin the motor 7500 rpms if not more. I'm also not sure if I want to yank my 186 camel hump heads off my truck or use and rebuild the stock 882 heads that came off my truck. Both heads are 1.94's, the camel humps have the small combustion chamber but I'm very hesitant on running them just in case if the motor comes apart, where if I have the 882 heads they're still a dime a dozen.
What can I do to the heads to make the motor survive running 7000 rpms or more?

I am pretty much doing the same thing. I have early 327 crank in late 350 4 bolt main block. They make a special main bearing set for that combination but I have to tell you, I think I got the last .010 over set of bearings in the country. I searched for 3 months to find them. With that said, they do make a spacer kit, that goes in the block I think the block is then line honed before installing small journal crank bearings. All 283 cranks are forged and there are quite a few out there. Check numbers, some are better than others. As far as heads go, you need the compression to make that motor run. Those 882 s will hold that motor back. You will need more cam than you have there. Solid lifter with quite a bit more duration if you want RPM's. Can you use a roller? I would like to see a set of roller rockers too, but rules are rules. Scat makes a nice affordable 5.7 rod that will hold up for what you are looking for. Forget the high volume pump. Use Melling Select I think 10553 or 10554 if you want a 3/4 in pickup. Hope I helped some.

Hello all,
I'm thinking about building a chevy 302 for my dirt track camaro. Before I get into this I want to say yes I do know building a 350 will be cheaper and give me more hp and tourqe blah blah.....and building a 383 for a race engine will give me the best bang for my buck. Anyways I want to build a 302 to be different.
So I'm looking for some advice, I have a 1963 forged steel 283 crank, is there anyway I can use my large journal 010 350 4 bolt block? Can I get the Machine shop make the 283 crank into the 350 block like they do with 350 cranks in 400's? If I get that far the rules for my race class are fairly strict in some areas, if I spin the motor over 6500-7000 rpm would I need to get forged steel H beam rods?
The rules for my class state no rules on cubic inch, stock cast iron intake manifold with Rochester 2g or Holley 4412 2bbl carb will be used. stock production cast iron heads/ no vortec heads, no porting/ polishing, milling the heads aren't allowed, stock steel rocker arms with 1.50 ratio will be used. Stock production cast iron exhaust manifolds will be used.
Here's what I picture in my head if I can get the crank to fit the block:
Bowtie cast iron factory hi rise intake with 2bbl carb adapter
Stock ram horn exhaust manifolds
186 camel hump heads or 882 1.94 truck heads
Holley 4412 500cfm 2bbl carb
Scat forged steel 4340 6" h beam rods.
Mahle forged alum flattop pistons with 2 valve reliefs bore tbd also floating wrist pins
Arp main and rod bolts
High volume oil pump
Double roller timing chain
Circle track hydraulic cam I've had great success with in my 350's
240/250 @ .050", 290/294 advertised,.506"/.510" lift(1.5:1 rocker ratio),107 lobe sep
Comp cam hydraulic flat tappet lifters
The bearing size will be determined if I can get the crank to work
The biggest thing I need advice on is the heads, I want to be able to safely spin the motor 7500 rpms if not more. I'm also not sure if I want to yank my 186 camel hump heads off my truck or use and rebuild the stock 882 heads that came off my truck. Both heads are 1.94's, the camel humps have the small combustion chamber but I'm very hesitant on running them just in case if the motor comes apart, where if I have the 882 heads they're still a dime a dozen.
What can I do to the heads to make the motor survive running 7000 rpms or more?

will you be running against 383's? If so you may as well stay on the trailer.

Thank you for the info. What kind of compression do I need to get to make that motor work? What would you recommend for a cam since the one I use for my 350's won't work? Where could I find a spacer kit for
The crank? I can't use a roller cam or roller lifters, I limited to using hydraulic flat tappet cam and lifters or solid flat tappet.
Other than being held back by the stock exhaust manifolds, and the 2bbl carb how would this run slower than any 350? The intake I have is a cast iron copy of the z/28 intake manifold and the flow numbers are pretty close to the real aluminum one.

You can build the smaller engine but the cost will be close to triple!Are you interested still? The exhaust manifolds are holding everyone back the same. Use the 650 2bbl and port it out if allowed. Same with exhaust manifolds. Use a solid flat tappet cam. Can you use a stud girdle? Is the CR limited or fuel? Can you use any GM cast iron head? What blocks are you allowed to use?

You can build the smaller engine but the cost will be close to triple!Are you interested still? The exhaust manifolds are holding everyone back the same. Use the 650 2bbl and port it out if allowed. Same with exhaust manifolds. Use a solid flat tappet cam. Can you use a stud girdle? Is the CR limited or fuel? Can you use any GM cast iron head? What blocks are you allowed to use?

I can use any production cast iron head except angle plug heads and vortecs. I can't use a stud griddle. There's no limit on CR. The fuel I can use is race fuel, aviation gas, and pump gas, anything else is illegal.
If I need to port the exhaust manifolds I can, they don't look for that, all they look at on the exhaust manifolds is a casting number just like on the intakes.
Where could I get my Holley 2bbl ported to flow 650 cfm or find one?

I would use race gas,not aviation gas. You will have to buy a used set of super stock heads from a drag racer. Make sure to clean the ports with sand. Punch out the valves to 2.05s, use the high flow version of those valves. Titanium of course.Titanium retainers.
Im guessing you can only use a generation one small block?

I would use race gas,not aviation gas. You will have to buy a used set of super stock heads from a drag racer. Make sure to clean the ports with sand. Punch out the valves to 2.05s, use the high flow version of those valves. Titanium of course.Titanium retainers.
Im guessing you can only use a generation one small block?

you have some big time shopping to do,so get busy.There will be extra math when it comes time to choose the cam profile because of the cast iron exhaust manifolds.good luck with the castings,,, also consider a destroked 400,,,,/283 crank,this will give you 325 cubes. The 400 block will make more hp that the 350 block

you have some big time shopping to do,so get busy.There will be extra math when it comes time to choose the cam profile because of the cast iron exhaust manifolds.good luck with the castings,,, also consider a destroked 400,,,,/283 crank,this will give you 325 cubes. The 400 block will make more hp that the 350 block

I'll have to consider that 325, it sounds right up my alley. For the 302 cam I'm thinking about going with the old 30-30 Duntov cam but that's not for sure until I get all numbers worked out.

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